Meet Jake Ohlemiller

Hometown: Suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri

Home Church: First United Methodist Church, West Lafayette Indiana

Degree Program: Master of divinity, first year

Other Degrees: B.S., agricultural engineering

Formative Experiences: I grew up in the St. Louis suburbs, but my spiritual home is First United Methodist Church of West Lafayette, Indiana, which I attended while studying at Purdue University. Shortly before I earned my degree, I felt God calling me to a vocation in pastoral ministry.

Experiences at Garrett-Evangelical: I'm deeply grateful for the vibrant student/faculty community I've found at Garrett-Evangelical, and I have grown closer to God through the many friendships that have sustained me here. Studying theology has given an authentic and deep-rooted voice to my sense of vocation, and I have enjoyed gaining powerful new ways to articulate my faith to a hurting world.

Calling: My call to ministry is deeply connected to a sense of place. After seeing the decayed state of many rural communities in Indiana, I hope that God will use my life to nurture life-giving relationships between people, their neighbors, and the soil.

My favorite class this year: Of particular transformational value was my "Introduction to the Old Testament" course, taught by Cheryl Anderson. As we took a critical approach to the Hebrew Scriptures, I found that my faith in the biblical witness did not suffer, but actually matured!

Meet Lynn “Christer” Mawia

Hometown: Yangon, Myanmar (Burma)

Home Church and Denomination: Methodist English Church, Yangon, Myanmar and Methodist Denomination

Year and Program: First Year, Master of Arts in Christian Education

Other Degrees: B.Sc. in University Studies (Elementary Education)

Formative experiences: Growing up as a pastor’s kid, I saw the church as my home and playground. The Bible bedtime stories my parents told, the catchy Sunday School songs, the evangelism mission trips of the youth group, and being a religious minority in a Buddhist country, all contributed to forming a strong Christian foundation in my life. The untiring efforts of my junior high Sunday school teacher to teach my class the ropes of establishing quiet time with God and the power of unceasing prayer were inspirational and admiring. I realized through quiet time the reality of God and His purpose for me. Therefore, I thank my parents and my teacher who inspired me to pursue a career in educating younger leaders in the Church.

Attraction to/experiences at Garrett-Evangelical: I feel blessed to be a part of Garrett-Evangelical family. During my initial visit to the seminary, I was attracted to the tight-knit global community, spirit-filled learning environment, and the beautiful location of the seminary. As the first semester began, I quickly learned that Garrett-Evangelical encourages each student’s creativity in worship, leadership, art displays, work and the classroom environment.

Calling:  I would like to work in the field of education with a connection to the Christian mission. My dream organization would be one that focuses on bringing social justice with the help of God’s guidance. Serving as a Children’s Ministry director or a Sunday School teacher would also be an honorable career for me. Ultimately, I would like to work with people who understand that bringing care and compassion is the initial step in introducing the Grace of God.

What is your favorite class this year?: Dr. Vena’s “Introduction to New Testament” has been my favorite class so far. The class materials and discussions challenged me to see the Biblical world in its proper setting and to find new implications for my Burmese culture as well as the U.S. society. Dr. Vena’s oral final exam allowed each of the students to present the knowledge and insights attained during the semester in their own styles. That was very interesting, encouraging, and exciting

Meet Tiggs Washington

Degree program: Master of divinity, first year

Meet M.Div. Student Fernando Rivera

Hometown
El Paso, TX

Age
23

Home Church & Denomination
Chapel Hill United Methodist Church, Oklahoma City, OK 

Degrees
B.A. in Religion and a minor in Business Entrepreneurship from Oklahoma City University

Garrett-Evangelical Degree Program/Year
Masters of Divinity, 2^nd year

Background Information
I was born and raised in El Paso, TX, which borders Las Cruzes, NM and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. You could say that I grew up in multiple cultures! The beauty was that I never knew it. Both my parents were born and raised in Mexico and they passed down the Hispanic culture to me. I would spend holidays and vacation time with family in Mexico. This helped me appreciate my Hispanic roots and opened my eyes to the difficulties of living in a third world country.

At the same time, being raised in Texas, I had the opportunity to live in a primarily Anglo community.  Going through the public school systems, living in mostly white neighborhoods, and worshiping in a church where I was the minority, helped me quickly understand that my skin color and heritage did not and should not hold me back. It is because of these two experiences that I have come to understand and believe that it is not my skin color that defines who I am but rather a culmination of experiences and the use of the gifts God has given me.

Calling
I am currently on track to become an Elder in the Oklahoma Conference of The United Methodist Church. I also have a strong passion for music. For years now I have been writing music, producing, and leading contemporary worship services. I truly feel that contemporary music is a part of my calling as I want to help our churches find ways to incorporate contemporary worship in our services.

Attraction to Garrett-Evangelical
Garrett-Evangelical is a place where I can me be. I can go into a classroom or a professor’s office full of questions and doubts and speak honestly with them. It is a place where I can grow and gain confidence as I prepare for ministry. It is an authentic environment where people honestly care about me and honestly care about helping me reach my fullest potential so that I can effectively serve the local church.

Career Plans
After graduation I plan on returning to the Oklahoma Conference of The United Methodist Church to serve as an Elder. 

Meet Brielle Ocot

Hometown
Clifton, NJ

Age
24

Home Church & Denomination
Bethany Church (Wyckoff, NJ) - Assemblies of God

Degrees
B.A. Music Performance and Literature at Ramapo College of New Jersey

Garrett-Evangelical Degree Program/Year
M.A. Music Ministry, 2nd year

Background Information
I grew up 10 miles outside of my favorite city in the world: New York. With a mother who is a teacher and a father who loves good food, I was bound to spend the majority of my childhood traipsing up and down Manhattan in search of the new and exciting - and traipse I did! Growing up next to the city that never sleeps cultivated in me a love of diversity, a taste for adventure, and, of course, a passion for good pizza.

Calling
I started playing the piano at age 8 and somehow never stopped. Music, like God, seemed to me as natural as breathing. As I grew in my musicality and my faith, church became one of the main forums in which I developed my skills: I was always accompanying choirs, playing for worship bands, and doing offertories. When it came time to apply for college, the path of the collegiate musician seemed overwhelming and I wondered if my passion could really be a career or if it was only meant to be hobby. Halfway through college, after some significant encounters with the Lord and the bewildered realization that I was still very much a musician even though I wasn’t a music major, I began to understand that my passion was not meant to be a career or a hobby - it was meant to be a calling. My heart had always been committed to God, and I became aware that my music would be as well.

Attraction to Garrett-Evangelical
After college, I spent a year looking at various M.A. Sacred Music programs around the country. In my search, I found that most programs fell into one of two camps: either musically-oriented with little-to-no ministerial training or ministry-oriented with little-to-no musical training. I was looking for a program that had both. In a divine moment that I can only attribute to God and Google, I stumbled upon Garrett-Evangelical’s website and noticed the Music Ministry program; a glance at the degree outline showed a well-balanced program that seemed too good to be true. After a heartfelt conversation with admissions personnel, I applied to the program and was accepted. A subsequent visit to campus that included a breathtaking walk around the lakefront, a spiritually-charged chapel service, and a placating meeting with the financial aid director clinched it: I knew Garrett-Evangelical was where I should be.

Career Plans
Music ministry within the church will always be a facet of my career. As such, I plan on seeking out a job within the music/worship team of a church after graduation. Increasingly, I am also feeling a burden for Christian (academic) education, particularly at the secondary and collegiate levels. As a product of Christian schools, I am a passionate advocate for Christian academic institutions. I would love to one day work in a Christian school or college/university where I can train and mentor young musicians as they seek to blend their music and their faith.

Meet Paige Boyer

Name
J. Paige Boyer

Hometown  
Cleveland, OH

Age  
31

Home Church & Denomination
Lakewood United Methodist Church, The United Methodist Church

Degrees
BA in Public Communications and Electronic Media Production from Ashland University

Garrett-Evangelical Degree Program/Year
Master of Divinity, first year

Background Information
I’m a recovering Public Relations professional, having worked in PR for nearly a decade. During that time, I was employed by several advertising agencies and the largest hospice in northeast Ohio. An Ohio native, I’m a fan of all things Cleveland, especially the Browns and the Indians. I’m a social media addict, actively using Twitter, Facebook and blogging as a way to continue my discernment process and to build and maintain relationships.

While I grew up in a Christian home, I didn’t attend church until I was in the 4th grade. As a youth, I was actively involved in youth ministries in my local church and at the district and conference levels. I enjoy theater (watching and performing), singing, reading and writing.  I love school and am excited to be back in an academic environment after almost 10 years away.

Calling
Life so rarely goes the way we plan it. I had my very first sense of call when I was 16 years old but, like a typical teenager, I ignored it. After graduating college, I entered the Public Relations field in Cleveland, got married, and stopped going to church. After my life took a series of unplanned twists and turns, I returned to church in my late 20s, single again and in a brand new job. It was in this brokenness that God called me back to service. It took another two years for me to accept that calling and begin to make plans to be ordained as an elder in the UMC.

Attraction to Garrett-Evangelical
I visited Garrett-Evangelical during early August of 2011, before classes began. Driving up Lake Shore Drive into Evanston, I was awed by the beauty of Lake Michigan. Then, as I pulled onto Garrett Place and looked up at the Main Building, I was sold. My heart knew I had found my home. From my conversations while on campus, I saw that Garrett-Evangelical would not only be the best place for me to find community but it was a place where my theology would be best formed. Besides that, purple is my favorite color.

Career Plans
I tend to be a bit of a dreamer, so I have big plans for my future ministry. After completing my M.Div., I would like to serve in a parish or campus ministry setting for several years. After having that experience, I’d like to move into agency work, helping to make a broader impact on the changing church by using my gifts for creative communications to reach more people. I want to help the UMC maintain its relevance in a culture where the largest growing religious group are “nones.” Alternatively, I’d like to plant a church in downtown Cleveland, helping to reach the growing young professional residential community there.

Meet Annie MacNeal

Name
Annie MacNeal

Hometown
Worcester, MA

Age
21

Home Church & Denomination
Epworth United Methodist Church

Degrees
B.A. in Psychology, minor in Philosophy at the University of Massachusetts

Garrett-Evangelical Degree Program/Year
M.Div., first year

Background Information
While attending UMass Amherst (University of Massachusetts), I became involved in social justice and community service learning. I volunteered a lot of my time at a local multicultural, anti-bias, afterschool program, Capacidad, which focused on social justice issues. I have always loved working with children, having been a camp counselor for years at a variety of camps. Upon graduating from UMass, I worked as a substitute teacher at an inner-city elementary school and directed a summer camp for cub scouts this past summer.

One of the reasons I graduated early was so that I could participate as a delegate from New England to the General Conference of the UMC. I was elected as a first-alternate lay delegate, but was able to be a seated delegate on the General Administration legislative committee. One of the main focuses of this committee was to restructure the UMC. Although General Conference was stressful and disheartening at times, I learned a lot and was even more confident in my call to ordained ministry and social justice in the UMC.

Calling
I grew up going to a United Methodist Church with my family. My mom was the head of Sunday School and my dad was the Lay Leader. I went to church because that was what you were supposed to do; I didn’t know anything else.

One summer, when I was 14 years old, I went on a camping trip with my family. During this trip, I discovered what it meant that Jesus truly loved me and I wanted to accept that love and forgiveness. As I prayed, a warmness and peace came over me and I knew that there was nothing else I was meant to do in life besides make others feel that same peace and love; God was calling me to be a pastor.

After becoming involved in community service and learning about social justice issues in college, I felt the call even more. I knew I wanted to work toward social justice through my ministry and build bridges between the community and the church. I wondered about becoming a Deacon instead of an Elder, but the feeling I would get when I preached, made me sure of my call to ordained ministry on the elder track.

Attraction to Garrett-Evangelical
One of the main reasons I chose Garrett-Evangelical was because of its sense of community. The first time I visited¸ I was immediately welcomed and felt right at home. Another reason I chose Garrett-Evangelical was because of its strong commitment to social justice. There are so many ways to get involved and serve others in a variety of ministries. Finally, I appreciated that the education at Garrett-Evangelical was well-rounded. Not only do we learn academically and in the classroom, but there is also an aspect of practical, hands-on learning that is important for ministry. For example, there are two years of required field education.

Career Plans
I am currently on my way to becoming a certified candidate in the UMC for ordained ministry on the elder track. Upon graduating from Garrett-Evangelical, I hope to be commissioned to the local church and to be ordained. At this point, I wish to return to my home conference of New England, but I am open to wherever God calls me to go. Ideally, I would love to work with a diverse population of people, break the barriers of the church “walls,” and truly reach out to and serve the surrounding community.

Meet Uziel Hernandez

Hometown in Mexico
Veracruz, Mexico
Hometown in the U.S.A.
Lafayette, TN.

Age
23

Home Church & Denomination
Chapel Hill United Methodist Church and Iglesia Metodista Hispana “Manahaim” (Spanish congregation at Chapel Hill UMC).
My denomination is the United Methodist Church.

Degrees
B.S. in Religion and Philosophy, Martin Methodist College

Degree Program/Year
master of divinity, second year

Background Information
I am originally from Mexico but have been living in the United States for about 10 years. I finished my undergraduate studies at Martin Methodist College. I can speak English and Spanish proficiently. I enjoy playing soccer, racquetball, rugby, football and tennis. I like to draw, sketch and paint whenever I get the chance. I also enjoy going to church and reading the Bible. I especially enjoy reading the New Testament in Greek. My favorite food is Japanese but I can eat just about anything. My favorite drink is coffee and my favorite fruit is banana. I like to have coffee with banana every morning for breakfast.

Calling
I had been given a lot by people who loved me very much. As a result, it is in my heart to do my best in my studies, life, work and ministry, and to serve others, my family, my church, my community and my society. In doing this, I will be able to bring honor and respect to those who put their trust and effort in me. Thus, I believe being a pastor and scholar is the best way in my situation to serve others and achieve my goals in my life. God speaks to us all in many different ways. I want to be ready theologically and academically to listen and act for the well-being of the other, the one who needs me.

Attraction to Garrett-Evangelical
When I was looking for a graduate school, someone suggested that I look at Garrett-Evangelical. I really didn’t know much about the school; however, soon after a visit to the campus, I felt that Garrett-Evangelical would be a place where I could develop my theological, academic, and spiritual life. The students, staff, and faculty at Garrett-Evangelical are very hospitable. I constantly feel the support I need to be confident that I’m on the right path. Also, the great resources, academic, financial and spiritual, Garrett-Evangelical offers for the students are very extensive. 

Career Plans
I am seeking ordination in The United Methodist Church. Also, I want to continue with my academic work and get a Ph.D. in theology or philosophy someday. In addition to this, I want to work with churches to find ways to connect points of mutual understanding between Spanish-speaking churches and English-speaking churches.  Both churches are very complex and different; however, I believed that in our differences we can have mutual points of similarities in communication, justice, action, ethics, and work. As Christians, we all have been called to teach, preach, and become immersed in the gospel of Christ, a gospel of freedom, liberty and mutuality. It is my desire that my work in the ministry reflects the message of Christ and it is my desire to be of service and support to my family, church, community, and society in all that I can.

Meet Benjamin Bower

Hometown
West Bloomfield, Michigan

Age
24

Home Church
Birmingham First United Methodist Church

Degrees
B.A. Philosophy & Religious Studies, Albion College 

Garrett-Evangelical Degree Program/Year
M.Div. third year

Career Plans
I plan on ministering in the local church as an ordained elder in the UMC.

Personal Information
I have been involved in some type of ministry in the church since I was in high school. Before coming to Garrett-Evangelical I worked with Crossroads of Detroit, taught elementary students through Baldwin Summer Enrichment Camp, coordinated projects for Motown Mission, and did a little bit of everything for Cass Community Social Services. My most meaningful ministerial experiences are those from my time working in Detroit. Lately, I have been thinking about the ways in which God is moving in my life and in the world around me. I believe that God cares deeply about those who have the least and hurt the most. I have a heart for justice and I pray that God will use me in ministry to further God’s vision of a just and whole world.

Attraction to Garrett-Evangelical
The decision to come to seminary was not an easy one for me. I began wrestling with that question in my junior year of college. Through my discernment process I believed that God was calling me to further my education, to sharpen the skills that I had already acquired, and to prepare by learning new truths about the work I am called to do.  I was and am committed to seeking ways by which God can equip me to do such a work. I narrowed my search to three seminaries. There are many reasons that I was attracted to Garrett-Evangelical. However, there were two things that really pulled me in. The first is that I knew plenty of alums who were doing incredible work for God in Detroit and around the world. The second was that Garrett-Evangelical was the only seminary that made me believe that I was truly wanted there and that the education they could provide was exactly what I would need in order to do the work that I felt called to.

Calling
When I was 15, I was at a youth conference with a few friends. We were able to choose which workshops we would attend and one day as we were looking over our options I felt drawn to a workshop on entering ministry as a profession. As my friends all prepared to go as a group, I went my own way. At that moment a seed was planted within me. A year later I was given the opportunity to preach at my church’s largest service along with some fellow youth group members. After the service, my pastor came up to me and suggested that I’d be pretty good at this. I then embraced any leadership opportunity in my youth group and around the church that I could. The church afforded me a place to experiment and grow in a role of responsibility and leadership while continuing to grow in my faith and my understanding of who God is. By the time I was ready to graduate from high school I answered the call that God had placed on my heart and believed that no other work would be as fulfilling as this.

Meet Annette Hankins

Hometown
Detroit, Michigan

Age
50

Home Church
Hartford Memorial Baptist Church

Degrees
B.A. Radio Television and Film, Wayne State University 

Garrett-Evangelical Degree Program/Year
M.Div. third year

Career Plans
I plan on ministering in the area of Pastoral Care and Counseling.  Ideally, I would like to serve as a Chaplain.

Personal Information
I came to Garrett-Evangelical after 25 years in the media field.  During my first career, I was a video camera person, an audio technician, and a video editor for which I won an Emmy Award. After working as a news room editor for 15 years, I accepted the call into ministry.  I used the skills I learned in media by serving my home church as the Director of Multi-Media Ministries for five years. I began attending seminary part-time in Detroit, but had a burning desire to attend seminary on a full time basis.  I am the mother of two daughters, Allyssa is a freshman at Bowling Green State University studying psychology and Allyson is a first year graduate student at the University of Kentucky studying opera.

Attraction to Garrett-Evangelical
After spending a few days on vacation in Chicago, I paid a visit to Garrett-Evangelical to inquire about their programs and was led to the admissions office.  After spending a few minutes with the staff I immediately felt a wonderful sense of community.  The academic opportunities and the welcoming spirit showed me that Garrett-Evangelical was where I was supposed to be.  I immediately filled out my application and eagerly waited for my acceptance. 

Calling
At the age of 15 I preached my first sermon but life lead me in a different direction.  I felt the call once again in 2000 and in 2002 I became a Deacon in Training.  God is leading me in the direction of chaplaincy and pastoral care and counseling.  God has equipped me and is still equipping me through my experiences and training to help others overcome various trials in their lives.

Meet Michael Jarboe

Meet Brenda Kostner

Brenda Kostner
22 years old
M.Div., first year           

In part, I chose to attend Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary because it would expose me to different cultures. Growing up on a farm 45 miles southwest of Wichita, KS, I was always curious as to what adventures the “big city” held. A Methodist from birth, I grew up attending the church my parents were raised in, Murdock United Methodist Church.

For my undergraduate work, I studied at Washburn University in Topeka, KS. Curious about nearly every subject, I found a home in the history department, graduating with a B.A. in history. While taking a world religions course, I discovered an interest in the study of religions. I thoroughly enjoyed taking classes in religious history, world religions, and biblical languages. For my senior project, I decided to combine my two interests in history and religion and write on the theology and hymnody of Charles Wesley. Already knowing that I wanted to attend seminary, this project gave me a jumpstart into studying early Methodist history, something I am excited to continue learning about in the future.

While in college I was blessed to be a part of two great faith communities that encouraged and supported me in discerning my call to ministry. University United Methodist Church was my home church away from home. There, I was able to explore my call, helping with youth and children ministries, Sunday school, worship, pastoral care, and discipleship. As a sophomore, I joined the Campus Ministry group at Washburn. I made some of my best friends and was blessed to go on my first mission trip. Also, I was able to assist my campus minister in worship, programming, and with small groups.

For me, seminary has been a continuation of that journey of discernment. I have found the community at Garrett-Evangelical so encouraging and challenging for my call. Right now, I feel called to the local church. What does that mean to me? I believe it is discerning what God is calling the church to be, visioning with people on how to do that, helping people see and understand God in their lives and in the world, and seeing them grow in their identity as God’s children and transforming their communities and the world.

Meet Mao Her

Hometown
Green Bay, Wisconsin

Age
43

Home Church & Denomination
New Faith Hmong Ministry (UMC), Green Bay, WI

Degrees
B.A. in Biblical Studies, Criswell College in Dallas, TX
M.B.A. from the University of Phoenix

Garrett-Evangelical Degree Program/Year
I am a second-year M.Div. student and a certified candidate with the Wisconsin Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. I feel God is calling me to serve in local churches. Since I have been at Garrett-Evangelical, my passion for pastoral care and pastoral theology has grown.  The skills and abilities that I am seeking from my education at Garrett-Evangelical are leadership, preaching, teaching, pastoral care/pastoral counseling.

Formative Vocational Experiences
I have always had a very strong conviction that I was called into the ministry. In the Hmong culture and in the denomination that I was born into, a woman would never have the opportunity to serve as a pastor or even to hold a leadership role equal to that of a man.  So I became a pastor’s wife and served with my husband for many years. When we became United Methodists, my husband and other clergy encouraged me to pursue ministry as a pastor, but my fear of rejection as a minority woman in ministry held me back.

I was taking care of my dying mother in the spring of 2008, when I finally answered God’s call to ordained ministry. As I watched my mother take her last breath, I felt that God was communicating with me through her.  Somehow, I felt that she approved and was giving me permission to go ahead and do what God was calling me to do. Rev. Diane Rew, senior pastor of St. Paul’s UMC in Green Bay, was already encouraging me to pursue this call, because she saw my gifts and potential. After the death of my mother, I knew it was time.

Personal Information
I was born into a Christian family.  I am originally from Laos, but my nationality is Hmong.  I came to this country as an immigrant in 1979, as a result of the Vietnam War.  My father was a pastor and is now retired.  My husband and I got married in August of 1990 hoping to become missionaries, but God had a different plan for our lives. We have three children (one girl and two boys).  I have been involved with the life of the church since my youth. When I got married, I was involved with the children’s ministry and the women’s ministry in the church.  When we joined The United Methodist Church in 2003, I served for four years as president of the Hmong Women United Methodist Association and as its communication coordinator for another four years.

Your Experiences at Garrett-Evangelical
At first, I was drawn to Garrett-Evangelical because it was close to home, but since then, God has opened my eyes to ministry opportunities that I would never have thought of before. Garrett-Evangelical provides many opportunities for me to serve as a leader. For example, this year I became a part of the Women IMAGES student organization, and I am helping to coordinate the Conversation Partners program that brings together native English-speaking students and international students. My experience at Garrett-Evangelical so far has been wonderful and I thank God for the opportunity to study here and to have Garrett-Evangelical as a part of my faith journey.

Calling
After seminary, I hope to be ordained as an Elder in The United Methodist Church and work in local churches. I also hope to create a bridge between the first and second generations of the Hmong people, as well as between Hmong churches and other United Methodist churches.  I am passionate about Christian leadership, because I do not believe the church can survive in this generation without strong leaders who love God and are passionate about extending their services in love to the people around them. There is much to be done, and I am so excited about where God will take me.

Meet Kentina Washington

Hometown
Cleveland Heights, OH (Chicago area for the last eight years)

Age
31

Home Church & Denomination
Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, IL (UCC)

Degrees
B.A. in Public Administration (minors in Sociology and Black World Studies)
Miami University (Oxford, OH)

Garrett-Evangelical Degree Program/Year
I am a second-year M.Div. student, primarily concerned with developing skills in providing pastoral care in healthcare settings, with hopes to begin a career in chaplaincy post-seminary.  I am also particularly interested in eschatological issues related to suffering, death, dying, and bereavement, and spiritual disciplines for dealing with grief and loss.

Formative Vocational Experiences
Prior to seminary, I worked in a sales/marketing role for three major insurance companies. Much of my job was focused on building relationships, which was actually the part of the job I loved the most. In this role, I was in a variety of settings where I learned how to connect and adapt to populations with diverse needs, backgrounds, and competencies.  I never knew how much this experience would translate into seminary until I spent a summer as a clinical pastoral education (CPE) intern and was knocking on doors, “cold-calling” patients or being asked to enter into a crisis with a family as a loved one was dying.  Though I wasn’t “selling” anything, the ability to connect on a human level first with a variety of people and in a variety of different circumstances (the same things that fueled my business relationships) became very integral to my CPE experience.

Personal Information
I was born in the Cleveland area and moved to Chicago in 2003 due to a job transfer.  I have always been a theological ‘seeker,’ curious about God, different faith traditions and practices, and people’s relationships with organized (and disorganized) religion.  I was not raised in any particular faith tradition, but grew up visiting all types of churches and synagogues with having friends from many different backgrounds.  I spent the first seven years after college working as an insurance underwriter, and after a job loss in 2009, I felt that it was finally time to explore this “nudge” in my spirit to go to seminary, a nudge I had been feeling since 2005.  My daughter, Sophia, and I moved to Evanston in July of 2010, and I started my M.Div. that September.  It was one of the best decisions that I have ever made.

Attraction to Garrett-Evangelical
I had a friend who earned her M.Div. from Garrett-Evangelical M.S.J. from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.  She was the first person I had ever met who had attended seminary just because she was interested in studying theology and/or using her M.Div. in a context other than traditional ordained pastoral ministry.  I knew at that time that I was being called into theological education, though not necessarily into a more “traditional” ministry situation. Seeing my friend, who now works as an editor/acquisitions specialist for a Christian publisher, thriving in her field after having had a great experience at Garrett-Evangelical, sold me on pursuing graduate studies here. In addition, the warmth of the admissions staff and student tour guides also helped to seal the deal.

Calling
I feel a very strong calling to both academia and to practical ministry. I see myself pursuing a terminal degree and also pursuing certification from the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education as a chaplain after I complete my M.Div.  My experiences at Garrett-Evangelical – both inside and outside of the classroom – are providing me with a priceless wealth of knowledge to be a bold leader for the Church and the world. Thanks be to God!

Meet Carole Snow

Hometown:
The Woodlands, Texas

Age:
30

Degrees:
Bachelor of Philosophy Northwestern University
The Banff Centre Alberta, Canada Film Studies

A first-year student in the Master of Arts in Pastoral Care and Counseling Program at Garrett-Evangelical, Carol is also a producer at RealLab Productions.  Below is her story and why she came to study at Garrett-Evangelical.

I am an independent producer and filmmaker. What that entails is looking for interesting stories and then finding money to tell that interesting story through moving pictures. Producing has been the capstone to a decade-long journalism career that ignited something so deep in me that I became very much invested in the human condition.

My job has sent me on 32-hour flights to the Himalayas, over horse trails in Tennessee and sometimes to Ann Arbor for a few hours. It doesn’t matter what subject I am covering via documentary - I find that people have the same struggle. We want to be heard, and we want to be valued. These are the tenets that make us feel alive. They make us human.

This has much to do with why I eventually came stumbling into seminary this fall. I do mean stumbling. I am clumsy in life. This is the biggest lesson I have learned in filmmaking - we all are. The ebb and flow of being human is seldom a gorgeous, symmetrical bell curve with a climax in the middle as we float down to earth with age and time. If anything, our lives can look much like the stock charts between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., with unexpected dips and rises.

The problem was this: I had no journalistic wall. I instantly cared for the people I was covering and reporting on, and it grew into my documentary work. I took my work home with me. I am here studying Pastoral Care and Counseling because at some point I decided that perhaps interviewing in another form - that allowing people to tell their stories - would eventually help someone.

And while I answer questions all day on campus as to why a filmmaker would come to seminary, the transition has been an easy one. I’m learning a new way to listen. I am learning that instead of extracting information to share with the public, I allow those in my sphere to give up little pieces of themselves and know they are being heard.

This summer I traveled to Nepal for the documentary, Keeper of the Mountains, which covers the history of Himalayan climbing (yep, Everest) through Himalayan chronicler Elizabeth Hawley. Hawley, a notoriously tough interview and intensely private woman, allowed me to sit across from her for five days asking questions about being in love and why a 40-year-old woman would pack up and move to Kathmandu in the 1960s.

She challenged me. “Why not?” She recounted tales of delivering the news to Sir Edmund Hillary that his wife, Louise, and, daughter, Belinda, had died in a plane crash. Hawley had taken a helicopter up to the Khumbu region and proceeded to help Hillary mend his life with food and company.

I looked around her office as I saw New Zealand postage stamps with Hillary’s likeness and a slew of very valuable climbing maps and books parked in every corner. While Hawley was never a climber herself, she admired the men and women that took to the peaks. Some were looking for adventure and some where trying to get away from problems at home.

I think in some way we all tackle life the way climbers do. The upward climb and those moments when you lose elevation after much struggle. You need the help of your teammates, and other times you are alone on a rock face being pummeled by weather. In the high regions, nothing warms the climber more than a cup of some serious tea from a stranger.

These turning points we all experience. Those of pain and camaraderie are the focus of my mission. That we are all in this together (life) and we need to share those experiences. We need to be vocal, to tell someone we are in pain. Now Intro to Pastoral Care and Counseling recommends that you should never say “I know how you feel.” Sometimes though - I think this is way okay.

Movies, television, music: They speak to us, because we see something in ourselves in others, this human narrative. I was working in small groups in our Vocational Formation and Church Leadership class - in a discussion on Dr. Martin Luther King’s "Letter From a Birmingham Jail" - when a very sharp classmate of mine pointed out that perhaps people were able to bus down to the South because they saw the shocking images on television of fire hoses, dogs and utter hate from humans like us.

I am here at Garrett and working hard in the documentary community for this reason: There are so many stories to be told. Like John Steinbeck reporting on migrant workers in the Depression, or Steve James telling us about violence and ultimately, healing in Chicago - and on down to the one-on-one construct of a counseling environment - you’ve got to know how much your story matters.